Menu Ideas for U.S. Pork, Beef Showcased In Tokyo

Promoting the quality and flavor of U.S. pork and beef to one of the fastest growing foodservice sectors in Japan, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently participated in the Yakiniku Business Fair. Held annually in Tokyo, this event is Japan’s largest trade show for the yakiniku industry and one of the country’s largest food trade shows. USMEF’s promotional efforts at the Yakiniku Business Fair were funded by the Pork Checkoff, the Beef Checkoff Program, the Texas Beef Council and the USDA Market Access Program. 

In the audio report below, USMEF-Japan Director Takemichi Yamashoji notes that USMEF promoted a U.S. beef “pound steak” at the event. While steaks in Japan are typically 150 to 200 grams (one-third to one-half pound), larger and thicker cuts are gaining popularity. So this year USMEF’s booth featured a 454-gram steak, which is the equivalent of a full pound. U.S. pork cheese teji karubi, a Korean-style barbecue dish, was also a featured menu item.

USMEF-Japan marketing manager Tatsuru Kasatani adds that because the Yakiniku Business Fair offers insights on such a wide range of products and services, it attracts leading meat buyers from the yakiniku industry – making it a very attractive and effective event for promoting U.S. pork and beef.

More details on the Yakiniku Business Fair are available from the USMEF website.